‘I have a lot of anger because the driver never apologised’ - Beth’s story

By Leanne Crawford

Beth Tyson was trapped in her car for two hours before being rushed to hospital where she underwent five hours of surgery and spent 24 hours in intensive care.

She suffered a crushed left foot, broken bones in her wrist and fractures in her neck, back, chest, wrist, thighs and lower left leg.

Hearing your best friend screaming because she was in pain was the worst part. I just wanted to get out and help her.

Beth, 20, from Tealby, has since spent 35 hours in surgery, she needs a wheelchair and custom made insoles for any walking she manages.

And her disability will only get worse as she gets older.

To make things worse, Beth was forced to cancel her plans to become a paramedic, like her mum, because she will no longer be able to cope with the lifting involved.

Beth recalls the crash: “I remember opening my eyes and trying to figure out where I was. I heard Kate crying and screaming. I tried to talk to her to calm her down.

“Hearing your best friend screaming because she was in pain was the worst part. I just wanted to get out and help her.

“I know there was nothing I could’ve done to prevent it but even now I feel guilty for Kate’s injuries because she was in my car.”

Beth has had to go through therapy and counselling in order to get behind the wheel of a car again.

“I freaked out whenever I saw headlights coming, even as a passenger.

“I’m not the person I was before the accident and can’t do the things I could have done.

“I have a lot of anger with him (Hill) because he hasn’t apologised - and it’s quite simple to say sorry to someone.

“We’ve got justice from the guilty verdict but things are never going to be the same for me and Kate. It’s changed our lives forever. He’ll eventually be back on the road.

“It sounds horrible but he deserves to go to jail,” said Beth.

Beth’s mum, Caren, said: “I knew the paramedics who were there but all I could do was walk, I just paced for two hours - I couldn’t see her or hear her. I didn’t think she was going to come out of it.”